Publication database

Trends, including those that seem peripheral, change consumers' aspirations, attitudes, and behaviors in ways that may not be obvious. The digital revolution, for instance, has led people to value offerings that provide instant gratification and help them multitask. This is as important for a company that sells sports shoes as it is for one that sells video games. There are three strategies for addressing the impact of trends: Infuse aspects of the trend into the category to augment traditional offerings, as Coach did with its lower-priced, youthful Poppy handbags. Combine aspects of the trend with attributes of the category to produce radical offerings that transcend the category, as Nike did with its Nike+ sports kit and web service. Counteract negative effects of the trend by developing products and services that reaffirm the category's values, as iToys did with its ME2 video game, which encourages children to be physically active.

Corporate responsibility has gone global. It has secured the attention of business leaders, governments and NGOs to an unprecedented extent. Increasingly, it is argued that business must play a constructive role in addressing massive global challenges. Business is not responsible for causing most of the problems associated with, for example, extreme poverty and hunger, child mortality and HIV/AIDS. However, it is often claimed that business has a responsibility to help ameliorate many of these problems and, indeed, it may be the only institution capable of effectively addressing some of them. Global Challenges in Responsible Business addresses the implications for business of corporate responsibility in the context of globalization and the social and environmental problems we face today. Featuring research from Europe, North America, Asia and Africa, it focuses on three major themes: embedding corporate responsibility, corporate responsibility and marketing, and corporate responsibility in developing countries.

The purpose of this report can be summarized as follows: 1. Update our awareness of the issues and challenges facing European firms in terms of technology management. 2. Understand the future of ESMT's sponsors and clients in terms of their R&D and technology organizations. 3. Develop our understanding of the need for skills and capabilities development of the current and future managers and executives in the areas of Research, Development and Engineering (i.e. all those making technology decisions). 4. Seek input for R&D/technology program portfolio that ESMT could offer in the future.